Standing head and shoulders above their respective challengers (figuratively in Nadal’s case), the two #1s asserted their authority with emphatic victories in Wimbledon’s final weekend. As the victors bask in the glow of their well-deserved triumphs, we present report cards for the principal contenders as well as those who surprised us, for better or for worse. Brace yourselves for a lengthy but hopefully entertaining read.

A:

Nadal: For the third consecutive year, the men’s tour witnessed a Channel Slam as the same player swept Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but this feat may become commonplace considering Nadal’s dominance at both venues. Especially important to his legacy are his non-clay majors, which cement his reputation as a magnificent all-surface player and eventually will incorporate him in the GOAT debate if he remains healthy. Also significant were his straight-sets triumphs over ball-bruising behemoths in the last two Slam finals, for the style of Soderling and Berdych will characterize most of the opponents whom he must vanquish in the later rounds of majors. Finally, we saw Nadal outside the stifling context of his evaporating rivalry with Federer, the narrative of which often cast him as the foil to the Swiss legend’s majesty, an upstart who courageously sought to dethrone the king. Now Rafa reigns supreme, fortified in the #1 ranking for the foreseeable future and ideally positioned to pursue the elusive career Slam at the US Open.

Serena: “Dependable” and “steady” might not be the first words that spring to mind when describing the flamboyant Serena, yet they accurately evoke the order and continuity that she has brought to the mercurial WTA. While Belgians bomb, Russians reel, and a sister sinks, the world #1 fires ace after ace, makes top-50 players look like practice partners, and wins virtually at will. During her seven victories here, she lost her serve just three times and faced ten total break points (none in the final); only once, against Sharapova, was the American in any real danger of losing so much as a set. Having won five of the last six non-clay majors, Serena will enter the US Open as the clear favorite to record a 14th major. We’ll be curious to see whether she ends her career with more Slams than Federer.

Berdych: Proving that Miami was no accident, the enigmatic Czech appears to have solved his own riddle and finally assembled his mighty game, which for so long was less than the sum of its parts. At the core of his last two Slam performances was his vastly improved confidence, which carried him past the six-time champion in a quarterfinal that offered multiple opportunities to falter. In future majors, he’ll want to take care of business more efficiently in the first week, during which he played a five-setter against Istomin and a four-setter against Brands. But his achievements in the most pressure-laden environment of all demonstrated that he’s ready to breathe the rarefied air at the top of the game. With few points to defend on the American hard courts, his ranking should keep rising.

Zvonareva: She didn’t hold the Venus Rosewater Dish on Saturday, but in a personal sense Zvonareva achieved even more than did Serena during this fortnight. Whereas we’ve accustomed ourselves to the younger Williams sister delivering such performances, the rebirth of this volatile Russian as a mature competitor should have elated the WTA. Armed with a complete arsenal of weapons and an excellent tennis IQ, Zvonareva should build upon this tournament as Berdych built upon his Miami breakthrough. Even in the final, she competed courageously rather than folding as have so many of Serena’s craven foes, while her two previous matches featured n uncharacteristically sturdy comebacks by a player formerly most famous for her meltdowns. It’s a pleasure to see the prettiest pair of eyes in women’s tennis sparkling with joy rather than brimming with tears.

A-:

Murray: Just as in Australia, the Scot was the best player of the men’s tournament until the semis, conceding one lone set en route to that stage. During his first five matches, he looked nearly invincible as he defused the explosive offenses of Querrey and Tsonga after dismissing a trio of garden-variety foes. Murray’s emergence from a prolonged post-Australian Open slump will have boosted his confidence at a timely moment before the shift to American hard courts, where he generally prospers. And his post-defeat press conference was far more gracious than one would have expected from the often truculent Scot. Nevertheless, he continues to fall just short at Slams and oddly seemed reluctant to carpe the diem against Rafa as he did so expertly in Melbourne.

Surprise WTA semifinalists: Nadal wasn’t the only lefty who shone on the lawns of the All England Club, nor was Berdych the only Czech. En route to a surprisingly respectable loss to Serena, Kvitova overwhelmed both Azarenka and Wozniacki as well as 2008 semifinalist Zheng Jie. Presaged by a trip to the second week of last year’s US Open, the quirky shotmaker’s triumphs against these three diverse playing styles bodes well for her future as a dark horse in key tournaments. Told that one player other than Serena would reach the semis without dropping a set, few spectators would have guessed Tsvetana Pironkova. Despite a counterpunching, movement-based game seemingly antithetical to grass, the Bulgarian radiated calm poise throughout her upsets of Bartoli and Venus. She doesn’t hit anyone off the court, but she makes those who do win points three times or more in order to oust her.

Sharapova: Why is a fourth-round loser in this prestigious category? We grade on improvement (or “dis-improvement”—see below), and that ghastly first-round debacle in Melbourne has receded into distant memory after Maria’s sterling competitive efforts in the last two majors. If she hadn’t netted a routine forehand on set point in the tiebreak against Serena, she might well have scored a stunning victory last Monday in what became the de facto final; afterwards, the Russian likely would have navigated to a second Wimbledon title. Even more of a confidence player than Nadal, she proved a shade tentative on key moments in the Serena encounter but looked sharper at Wimbledon than she has since 2006. When she translates those fearsome serve-groundstroke combinations to her best surface, the hard courts, Sharapova could prove Serena’s primary challenger again at the US Open.

Isner / Mahut / Mohammed Lahyani: The longest match ever was far from the greatest match ever, yet its B-level tennis shouldn’t detract from the spectacular resilience of its participants. Kudos to perhaps the most good-natured umpire of all for withstanding seven stiff hours on his lonely perch. Greater kudos to Isner for defying exhaustion and finding the willpower to propel his massive frames through 118 games in a single day. And greatest kudos of all to Mahut, who gallantly held serve to stay alive not once, not twice, not thrice, but 64 times. Perhaps the French World Cup team should watch the spectacular feat of their compatriot, who offered a splendid lesson in how to lose with grace and glory.

Djokovic: He was excellent at times and solid at others, but he doesn’t quite seem like the second-best player in the world, as the rankings would suggest. Escaping a potential first-round catastrophe against Miami nemesis Rochus, the Serb seemed to settle into the tournament with each successive match, of which the most impressive was his four-set win over the ever-tenacious Hewitt. In the quarterfinals, Djokovic suffocated the sprightly challenge of Yen-Hsun Lu with arguably his strongest, steadiest single-match performance of 2010 thus far. Two days later, his serve unraveled ignominiously against Berdych with a double fault to lose the second-set tiebreak and consecutive doubles to drop serve in the third set. Still uneasy against confident, big-serving opponents, Djokovic stubbornly stuck to an unintelligent game plan in the semis despite possessing ample alternatives. Most concerning, though, was his fitness; after two hours, he looked more drained than did Mahut after seven.

Kanepi: While reaching the quarterfinals was more than sufficient cause for celebration, consider that Kaia Kanepi accomplished that feat after qualifying and while playing doubles. The indefatigable Estonian reminded us that a crunching serve and mountains of first-strike power often can compensate for an otherwise one-dimensional style on this surface. Once in the top 20, Kanepi has played with conviction since defeating Henin in Fed Cup this spring, and her momentum should extend onto the fast hard courts.

Querrey: After collecting the Queens Club title, the lanky Californian reached the second week of a major for just the second time, an achievement especially remarkable considering his bizarre French fadeout. In the third round against the ever-dangerous Malisse, he refused to buckle after squandering opportunities in the fourth and fifth sets, instead calmly continuing to hold serve until the Belgian blinked. When he wasted an opportunity to build an early lead against Murray, however, the Scot swiftly punished him for his profligacy.

Li: Capitalizing upon her Birmingham title just as Querrey capitalized upon his Queens Club triumph, Li scored a commanding win over two-time quarterfinalist Radwanska in the final 16. She managed to keep pace with Serena before unaccountably letting a service game slip away late in the first set, after which she faded swiftly. But the Chinese star has now reached the quarterfinals or better at three of the last four majors, summoning her best tennis for the grandest stages and finally accumulating the consistency that long has constituted her greatest flaw.

B:

Tsonga: Despite an injury that endangered his participation here, the acrobatic Frenchman leaped and lunged through an eventful first week to reach the quarters. Had he closed out the second-set tiebreak against Murray, a semifinal spot almost surely would have awaited. An embarrassing (but unfortunately not uncharacteristic) faux pas at 5-5 in that tiebreak cost him dearly, though; positioned to demolish a floating return, Tsonga motionlessly watched it sail past him in the expectation that it would land out. It didn’t, and Murray took full advantage of the reprieve.

Soderling: The Swedish juggernaut still exposes the frailties in Nadal, who looked unduly anxious during much of their quarterfinal. Yet the Spaniard has distinctly recaptured the edge in this mini-rivalry, while Soderling’s temper returned in an unnecessarily prolonged five-set win over Ferrer. After he refused to drop serve throughout the entire first week, one expected a bit more confidence in the second week. Nevertheless, a foot injury clearly undermined him against the eventual champion, so look for him to wield an impact again at the US Open.

Melzer: Winning just eight games from a clearly less-than-flawless Federer in the round of 16: C+. Seizing the doubles title with Petzschner: A-. Those divergent performances average to a B for this maddeningly mercurial but fascinatingly distinctive veteran, who now has won consecutive third-round matches at Slams after dropping his previous eleven.

Hewitt: Following his superlative performance in Halle, many observers (including ourselves) expected him to record an upset over Djokovic last Monday. Although he proved unable to do so, his previous win over Monfils illustrated the dogged determination that he brings to every point of every match. While that unflinching intensity alone would justify watching him, his superb court sense and point-construction skills scintillate on a more intellectual level. Rarely does the Australian beat himself, which is a description that one can’t apply to several higher-ranked players.

Groth: Like Melzer, she reached the second week for the second consecutive major, pounding last year’s sensation Melanie Oudin into submission en route. Although her competitive fourth-round encounter with Venus looked less impressive two days later, she showed greater poise than she formerly had on such occasions…until she served for the second set, when her game predictably fell apart. All the same, the Slovak-turned-Australian is steadily learning how to channel her prodigious power, ominous news for whoever draws her early in New York.

Clijsters: Losing to a pair of mentally dubious Russians (Petrova, Zvonareva) at her last two Slams, the 2009 US Open champion will be hard-pressed to defend her title unless her level rises distinctly in Cincinnati and Canada. Sluggish and seemingly disinterested for much of her quarterfinal here, Clijsters looked more like a mom who plays tennis than a tennis player who is a mom. Yet perhaps she was mentally drained from yet another three-set triumph over Henin on the previous day, a match that reaffirmed her position as currently the Best in Belgium. Kim won’t need to worry about such a hangover at the next major, where she’ll gain the psychological boost of flying her country’s flag alone.

Haase / Petzschner: Unknown outside the inner circle of aficionados, these northern European sluggers both won two sets from Nadal. Those five-set losses represent greater accomplishments than any of their prior victories and should inspire them to future exploits.

Wimbledon crowd: A thunderous standing ovation for the six-time men’s champion as he trudged off Centre Court in defeat: A. Boos for the five-time women’s champion when she arrived ten minutes late on Court 2: C. Does that sixth title really garner so much additional respect? Apparently not, since nobody dared to boo Sharapova when she appeared ten minutes late on the same court (and probably for the same, perfectly justifiable reason).

B-:

Federer: After nearly finding himself on the wrong side of history in the first round, the defending champion seemed to be playing his way into the tournament when he crashed into Berdych and out of Wimbledon. That Sampras record of total weeks at #1 may be safe after all unless the Swiss legend suddenly reinvigorates himself as he did in 2008. Leading us to expect otherwise, however, are these consecutive pre-quarterfinal losses at majors to players whom Federer formerly had dominated, losses that he rationalized a little too glibly in his post-match interview. His final unforced error of the day, that sour press conference revealed a much less gracious personality than we had identified with the former #1. Not unlike Serena at her worst, he attributed his loss to everything—from injuries to simple bad luck—except his opponent. Has Federer perhaps been concealing a churlish streak beneath his genteel veneer? It’s not hard to look and sound classy when you’re always holding a trophy.

Henin: We’ve reached a key crossroads in her comeback, which has garnered two minor titles and the Australian Open final but has fallen well short of most expectations. During her protracted injury absence, she might want to assess the state of her game and consider what could be changed to take the next step forward. But a third loss to Clijsters in six months—at the tournament for which this entire project is designed—must have struck a heavy blow to her easily deflated morale.

Azarenka / Wozniacki: Once described as the future faces of women’s tennis, the Belarussian and the Dane have taken winding detours on their respective routes to what seemed inevitable Slam glory. Both of them gulped down bagels courtesy of Kvitova, and both remain chronically hampered by injuries that restrict their movement. Let’s hope that the post-Wimbledon hiatus provides a much-needed physical and mental respite.

Roland Garros women’s finalists: The toasts of France quickly became French toast at Wimbledon, garnering just one set between them. While Schiavone doesn’t need to win another match if she doesn’t want, Stosur needs to dispel the lingering aftermath of her Paris disappointment before it festers too long.

C:

Roddick: For the second straight Wimbledon, he held his serve through five sets until losing it in the final game of the match. For the second straight Wimbledon, he lost two of three tiebreaks. For the second straight Wimbledon, he rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to force a final set. For the second straight Wimbledon, he came within a point of serving for the match. But this time he was playing Yen-Hsun Lu in the fourth round instead of Federer in the final. A major setback for the top-ranked American, Roddick’s tournament effectively erased his momentum from Indian Wells and Miami while intensifying the pressure that he’ll confront at the US Open. Just beyond his grasp a year ago, that second Slam now looks as far away as ever.

Venus: Accustomed to routine quarterfinals at her favorite tournament, the elder Williams is not accustomed to being the victim of routine quarterfinals at her favorite tournament. Facing break point in all but two of her service games, she never found her range against an energetic but far from overpowering Pironkova, the type of player whom she must conquer in order to contend for majors again. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine her harnessing those unruly groundstrokes throughout an entire fortnight. In the twilight stages of Venus’ career, her game is hideous when it is anything less than sublime.

Blake / Pam Shriver: Both of them forfeited considerable respect by stooping to engage in a mid-match war of words after Pam’s biting critique of James. Credit Robin Haase for not allowing the fracas to distract him from the task of pulverizing Blake, whose career has drifted out to sea for good.

Hanescu: Keep your saliva to yourself. Nobody wants to be infected with the type of malady that engenders such disrespect for the sport. Or did you confuse Wimbledon with the World Cup, where such antics might be applauded?

***

Although most of the top players now embark upon quasi-summer vacations, we will not vanish into the London mist. Here are some of the articles that you can expect to read here in the next few weeks:

Five to Frame: The Five Most Memorable Matches of the First Half (ATP edition and WTA edition)

Rivalries Renewed: Davis Cup Quarterfinal Preview

5 (+1) Plotlines to Ponder: US Open Series Edition

Pushing Forward: Caroline Wozniacki (player profile)

To Have and Have Not: Ernests Gulbis (player profile) [Sorry for the delay on this article, a pre-Roland Garros request. We didn’t forget, though!]